Wizards @ Suns Sunday game thread 12-17-2023

[ASUCHRIS]

This team has no juice at all - I can't believe it's hard to watch a team with Devin Booker and KD on it, but here we are.

 

[Mainstreet]

Don't know why people are harping on defense in this game. The Suns are a mediocre defense and just held the Wizards who average 116 to 108. The more glaring issue is that we just scored 112 points on a team that is giving up 126 points per game and it was on our home floor.

When this team doesn't turn the ball over they are actually a decent defensive team, but this team's offense is abysmal compared to the offensive talent that we have.

The Wizards shot 14-46 from three while the Suns shot 7-31 from three.

If the Wizards had been hitting open threes the outcome would have been different.

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[Chaplin]

That 6 minutes in the middle of the 4th was pretty damn good -- god enough to beat any team. The problem is the other 42 minutes. And sometimes that intensity never shows up, and we haven't really seen it at all in the last 10 games. I hope they watch that film and just study the hell out of it because they looked damn good.

 

[Vacard]

Didn’t watch the game but it seem like no matter the record of the opposing team, we will struggle against them. Based on the comments of this thread it seems like the Suns struggled against a sorry team.

 

[mjb21aztd]

Wizards were missing Bradley Beal tonight!

So were the suns and i doubt that bust so far signing will return anytim soon inj fing suck

Just thank nba gods suns pulled off w l n lol

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

The Wizards shot 14-46 from three while the Suns shot 7-31 from three.

If the Wizards had been hitting open threes the outcome would have been different.

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Not saying the defense doesn't need to be better, but the offense is the most glaring problem IMO. Especially when you consider how good this offense should be on paper.

If we cut down on the turnovers and made a decent percentage of our threes we would have won this game handily even if they had made a few more shots.

 

[Hoop Head]

My biggest issue with the defense are the poor rotations that lead to open corner 3's and easy layups. I honestly believe we'd be better playing zone than whatever you call our current defensive system.

Another issue is we almost always send 2 guys to meet the ball handler when they cross half court like some pathetic high school trap scheme that leads to us playing out of position for the rest of the possession.

 

[Superbone]

Something I have noticed that makes no sense to me. How does Nurk win virtually every beginning of game tip-off, yet can't seem to jump over a deck of cards while trying to nab a defensive rebound 1.5 to 2 feet from the basket? Still, I love his effort. He's giving 100% of what his body is capable of every game....Unlike his predecessor.

I've noticed this too. I think it's technique. He often steals the tip before the ball gets to its apex.

 

[Yuma]

Sure they are, at least when paired with a bow tie.

Gotta go with the black ray bans, too

 

[Germz249]

As if getting spanked by the Wizards isn't bad enough we have Tom Leander calling the game. I'm about to check out. Hey @Germz249 make room in your cave. I may need a place to hide until Vogel and/or JJ is fired.

Come on in. We got a whole setup going. Video games.. bar.. shooting range.. you name it.

 

[Peter Sheldon]

Not saying the defense doesn't need to be better, but the offense is the most glaring problem IMO. Especially when you consider how good this offense should be on paper.

If we cut down on the turnovers and made a decent percentage of our threes we would have won this game handily even if they had made a few more shots.

yup. Suns need a connector. A guy who can pop to a passable spot when Book or KD are double-teamed, then find the open guy(s) or drive. We are too stuck. Nurk not bad at connecting, but might be too slow footed to be that guy. Goodwin or Gordon should, by all rights, be good at this. They need some experimentation, even if it loses some games for the Suns at first.

On defense, Suns had a few minutes in 4th where they were jumping in passing lanes and getting TOs. That hasn't happened in a LONG, LONG time! Led to some easy points.

 

[Hoop Head]

yup. Suns need a connector. A guy who can pop to a passable spot when Book or KD are double-teamed, then find the open guy(s) or drive. We are too stuck. Nurk not bad at connecting, but might be too slow footed to be that guy. Goodwin or Gordon should, by all rights, be good at this. They need some experimentation, even if it loses some games for the Suns at first.

On defense, Suns had a few minutes in 4th where they were jumping in passing lanes and getting TOs. That hasn't happened in a LONG, LONG time! Led to some easy points.

Grayson Allen looked like he'd be good in that role early one when he was just playing next to KD. I'm not sure if it was his getting dinged up, Booker returning, or what caused him to sort of regress in that role but if we had the Grayson from the first 10 games, we'd be in a better spot right now.

 

[95pro]

yup. Suns need a connector. A guy who can pop to a passable spot when Book or KD are double-teamed, then find the open guy(s) or drive. We are too stuck. Nurk not bad at connecting, but might be too slow footed to be that guy. Goodwin or Gordon should, by all rights, be good at this. They need some experimentation, even if it loses some games for the Suns at first.

On defense, Suns had a few minutes in 4th where they were jumping in passing lanes and getting TOs. That hasn't happened in a LONG, LONG time! Led to some easy points.

Nurk requires the guys to move and cut, but they don't with this stagnant offense. Its like there's no secondary or tertiary option when Book/KD iso doesn't work.

 

[Yuma]

Nurk requires the guys to move and cut, but they don't with this stagnant offense. Its like there's no secondary or tertiary option when Book/KD iso doesn't work.

This has been a Suns thing for a LONG time. In the past, guys tend to watch Book and wouldn't move. Now guys camping out at the three point line. No one is setting up for the back cuts. I always noticed how much that is a staple of Popovic teams. They get a LOT of point on back cuts and dives to the basket for easy lay ups.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This has been a Suns thing for a LONG time. In the past, guys tend to watch Book and wouldn't move. Now guys camping out at the three point line. No one is setting up for the back cuts. I always noticed how much that is a staple of Popovic teams. They get a LOT of point on back cuts and dives to the basket for easy lay ups.

Reading this made me think of Cedric Ceballos which made me realize we've heard nothing about him since he survived a nasty Covid infection a few years ago. Anyone here know anything about him and how he's doing today?

 

[Hoop Head]

Reading this made me think of Cedric Ceballos which made me realize we've heard nothing about him since he survived a nasty Covid infection a few years ago. Anyone here know anything about him and how he's doing today?

He was at one of the early games this season. I can't recall why but it had a lot of old timers. Chuck was even there. I remember seeing Cedric and he was walking and looked great. I'm not sure if he's 100% but it was definitely encouraging to see him up and about because IIRC he lost the ability to walk for like 6 months.

It could have been a preseason game. It was whenever they did the unveil of the murals for the ROH, I just remembered that. He's not up there but he definitely deserved to be in attendance and arguably should be present in the ROH but I'd be surprised to see him inducted at this point.

 

[Hoop Head]

@AzStevenCal

Did a quick Google, saw this on his Instagram of him playing basketball in September. He's got no hops but hey, not bad for a dude his age and what he's been through.

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[Phrazbit]

Reading this made me think of Cedric Ceballos which made me realize we've heard nothing about him since he survived a nasty Covid infection a few years ago. Anyone here know anything about him and how he's doing today?

He was at one of the early games this season. I can't recall why but it had a lot of old timers. Chuck was even there. I remember seeing Cedric and he was walking and looked great. I'm not sure if he's 100% but it was definitely encouraging to see him up and about because IIRC he lost the ability to walk for like 6 months.

It could have been a preseason game. It was whenever they did the unveil of the murals for the ROH, I just remembered that. He's not up there but he definitely deserved to be in attendance and arguably should be present in the ROH but I'd be surprised to see him inducted at this point.

When they redid the Ring of Honor and hung up all the jerseys, I am pretty sure he was there. There were quite a few former players that we not directly being honored at the game.

 

[95pro]

Reading this made me think of Cedric Ceballos which made me realize we've heard nothing about him since he survived a nasty Covid infection a few years ago. Anyone here know anything about him and how he's doing today?

He was at one of the early games this season. I can't recall why but it had a lot of old timers. Chuck was even there. I remember seeing Cedric and he was walking and looked great. I'm not sure if he's 100% but it was definitely encouraging to see him up and about because IIRC he lost the ability to walk for like 6 months.

It could have been a preseason game. It was whenever they did the unveil of the murals for the ROH, I just remembered that. He's not up there but he definitely deserved to be in attendance and arguably should be present in the ROH but I'd be surprised to see him inducted at this point.

When they redid the Ring of Honor and hung up all the jerseys, I am pretty sure he was there. There were quite a few former players that we not directly being honored at the game.

Ced reminds me of the nash era, which is strange saying that without context, but he would get the crowd hyped up, spotlight shines on him some random place in the arena...cmon suns fans, i can't hear ya...then the bomb/explosion sound comes on.

 

[Hoop Head]

Ced reminds me of the nash era, which is strange saying that without context, but he would get the crowd hyped up, spotlight shines on him some random place in the arena...cmon suns fans, i can't hear ya...then the bomb/explosion sound comes on.

I remember him doing a lot work with the team in the early 2000's. He sort of connects the Barkley Suns to the Nash Suns for me.